European Parliament Debate – A Human Rights Based Approach To Climate Action: What Accountability For EU’s Climate Finance Contributions?

2015 marks an important year that will culminate with the adoption of a new set of sustainable development goals and an international climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol. At the UNFCCC negotiations in February 2015 the Geneva Pledge, an initiative to better understand the connection between human rights and climate change, was launched. This upcoming lunch debate builds on the momentum of the need to protect human rights and the discussions around the accountability of climate finance and aims to discuss this important topic for the first time from a European perspective.

Experience with climate finance projects to date have shown a policy gap that protects human rights in all climate actions. For example, the Santa Rita hydroelectric dam in Guatemala, co-funded by the Dutch and German development banks as well as by the World Bank was approved by the UN’s offsetting mechanism despite violent conflicts between the indigenous Q’eqchi ì and Poqomchí communities.

At the occasion of the event, experts will discuss the role of human rights in climate actions, the accountability of companies involved in mobilizing private finance and the role the EU’s Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy can play to advance a human rights based approach in a future climate treaty.

13:10 The role of UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights & climate change, Meera Ghani, CIDSE

13.25 The EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy and Action Plan, Antonis Alexandridis, European External Action Service

13:40 Discussion, Q&A, moderated by MEP Ignazio Corrao

14:15 Closing remarks, MEP Eleonora Evi

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